The Board has denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for blood clots in both legs, bilateral knee disability, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims are now pending again with VA.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not meet the current disability requirement for service connection as there is no documentation of a left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing loss, blood clots in both legs, bilateral knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004547
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for a bilateral knee disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, including scheduling an additional VA examination.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.